Delightful round antique hand painted Victorian box with lid. An amazing relic from times gone by, this black lacquer paper mch box with sides & lid painted with flowering stems, is an absolute delight. The interior has a silvery paper veneer & the base is finished in red felt. These types of boxes were commonly used for rice powder, used by Victorian ladies as makeup. Victorian media echoed that a lady should never let herself go. She must always maintain her beauty in order to find & keep her husband happy. A pretty face was a welcome sight by men, & was very important to keep their spirits up. While the message was always about beauty for men, there was a certain amount of pride women had for their own beauty. Victorian makeup was one way to enhance her appearance, although she would never admit to wearing it. Papier-mch is French for ‘chewed paper.’ That’s because - you guessed it - it was originally made from chewed up paper. A technique which first started in 1745 in France. Papier-mch is also made of ripped or mashed paper & bound with an adhesive, like glue or paste. Highly pliable when it is wet & very hard when it is dry, it is essentially a method of using paper to produce durable three-dimensional objects. As the technique gained popularity in the 18th century in all of Europe, the term papier-mch stuck. in astounding antique condition, the lid fits perfectly & there are very few imperfections on the piece. Only slight loss of the lacquer work around the bottom rim. The floral painting is exquisite, making this a very collectible item from between 1860 & 1890. Height: 13.5 cm (~5.3) Diameter: 11 cm (~4.3) We currently have three black lacquer round boxes that make a charming trio. If interested in purchasing the group, please be in touch for special pricing & combined shipping. Antique French Round Hand-Painted Paper Mache Box, Napoleon Iii, Late 1800’s
